In recent times, the rise of retail theft has reached staggering proportions, particularly, the theft of retail clothing. Clothing is especially susceptible to this type of crime because it cannot be sold from within a display case, as can jewelry, cameras or calculators. Clothing sales are primarily made by displaying the garments on open racks such that customers may put on the clothing to determine proper fit and may view themselves in the clothing to determine the appropriate aesthetic appeal.
In order to deter customers from walking off with merchandise, various devices have been developed. A typical scheme involves threading a single steel cable through all garments on a single rack with the ends of the cable secured by a locking mechanism to the rack. The disadvantages associated with such a device will be quickly appreciated. Garments are not capable of being put on by the customer nor are they capable of purchase until such cable is removed. With jackets and coats, such a removal and reinsertion process for the steel cable is both time consuming and not conducive to so-called impulse sales. In an effort to solve the single cable problem, devices have been developed for securing a plurality of cables to a single rack, with each cable attached to a separate garment.
The problem with steel cable security systems is they can be quickly and quietly defeated by merely cutting the cable. In an attempt to solve this problem devices have been developed which substitute for the steel cable, a conductive cable having at least two leads joined at the cable end farthest from the device to provide in effect a conductive loop. An electrical current is continuously passed through the conductive cable so that any break in the cable results in an open circuit being sensed by the device, which in turn sets off an alarm. The problem with such devices lies in the use of batteries to provide the continuous current through the cable. Batteries are, of course, preferred because they are not susceptible to power outages, tampering, and the like. However, due to continuous current drain, batteries must be frequently replaced which is costly and further which requires retailers to be ever vigilant to whether batteries have lost power.
A further problem with the continuous current system is the ease with which it can be defeated. The insertion of a straight pin through the cable typically maintains the continuous current through the cable, effectively masking any break occurring past the pin location.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a security system for use in the prevention of theft of retail items.
A further object of the invention is to provide a security device for use with retail items which incorporates battery power, but which a provides for a maximum battery life.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a security system which is not easily defeated.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a security device which minimizes the impact on so-called impulse sales or on the spontaneity of retail sales.